Field Tests of Organic Additives for the Control of Scale at the Salton Sea Geothermal Field
- Key words
- Scaling; Inhibition; Brine Technology; USA; California; Imperial Valley; Salton Sea; Silica; Chemistry; Hydroxyethylcelluloses (HEC); Polyoxyethylenes; Polyethylene Imines; Ethoxylated Quaternary; Ammonium; Ethoquad; Armak Methylpoly-Oxyethylene; Octadecy
- Location
- Salton Sea, California; Imperial Valley
- Conference
- Geothermal Resources Council Transactions
- Year
- 1979
- Session
- Scaling; Silica; Geochemical surveys
- Language
- English
Abstract
A variety of organic compounds have been evaluated for potential use in the reduction of silica scale formed from hypersaline brine. A brine treatment test system for operation from Magmamax No. 1 and Woolsey No. 1 wells was assemble and used for the testing of the additives. Injection of prospective compounds at 200°C and measurement of silica precipitation rates in the effluent brine revealed the following classes of substances to be effective inhibitors: hydroxyethylecellulosesm polyoxyethylenes, other compounds with high ethylene oxide content, polyethylene imines, and exthoxylated quaternary ammonium compounds. One compound, Ehtoquad 18/25 (Armak methylpolyoxyethylene octadecylammonium chloride), was found to retard the deposition and change the morphology of the silica rich scales in the 90-125°C temperature range.
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